CAB, NRC weapons of mass polarisation: Rahul Gandhi

Congress MP Angomcha Bimol Akoijam has responded to a Delhi Police notice via email, stating that he will join the investigation into sexual harassment allegations on 15 or 16 October. The police notice was served at his residence and delivered electronically after an FIR was registered following his dismissal from Jawaharlal Nehru University. Multiple female students had lodged complaints alleging that the former professor invited them to his campus quarters and attempted sexual harassment, alongside making inappropriate classroom remarks. Denying the allegations as lies, the lawmaker has departed from Imphal to Delhi to appear before investigating officers for questioning.

India has expressed serious concern over an alleged thwarted plot to carry out a mass shooting targeting a Hindu temple in Aurora, Illinois. Reacting to the development, the Ministry of External Affairs flagged the reported anti-Hindu and racist nature of the plot, reiterating that there is zero tolerance for hate-motivated violence. Indian authorities called for a thorough investigation to uncover any broader extremist nexus involved in targeting people of Indian origin. Emphasising that ensuring the safety and security of the Indian community in the United States is paramount, Indian diplomats have established contact with members of the diaspora following the arrest of the suspect by US law enforcement.

During a press briefing targeting Rahul Gandhi, the Bharatiya Janata Party highlighted alleged violence against women police personnel, questioning why their badges were torn off. Moving to another matter, the speaker addressed a Supreme Court ruling that upheld an Andhra Pradesh High Court verdict. The apex court held that an individual converting to Christianity or Islam cannot be regarded as a member of a Scheduled Caste, thereby losing reservation benefits and protections under the SC and ST Act. The ruling affirmed that only individuals professing Hinduism, Sikhism, or Buddhism are entitled to Scheduled Caste status.

Indian equity markets witnessed strong bullish momentum with the Sensex advancing over 1,300 points and the Nifty closing near the 23,000 mark, driven by IT and private banking stocks despite global tech softness. Market analyst Sharad Awasthi shared a positive outlook, assigning high probability to an ongoing recovery and targeting Nifty levels of 29,000 to 30,000 over 12 to 15 months. In major corporate developments, Reliance Industries filed the red herring prospectus for the Rs 30,213 crore Jio Platforms initial public offering, scheduled for subscription between October 21 and 23. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court set aside Yes Bank's AT1 bond write-off, and the central government proposed a phased rollout of Bharat Stage VII vehicle emission norms starting from 2029 through 2032. Additionally, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal confirmed the finalisation of the first tranche of the India-US trade agreement, while the IMF endorsed India's revised GDP methodology.